title: Comparison of combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation with surgical resection by using propensity score matching in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma within Milan criteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively compare the outcome of combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (hereafter, TACE-RFA) with that of surgical resection (SR) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. From January 2000 to December 2010, 154 patients (mean age, 69.9 years; age range, 50-89 years; 107 men, 47 women) underwent TACE-RFA, and 176 patients (mean age, 66.9 years; age range, 29-83 years; 128 men, 48 women) underwent SR. Patients with HCC who underwent TACE-RFA or SR were enrolled if they met the following inclusion criteria: no previous HCC treatment, one HCC lesion no larger than 5 cm or up to three nodules smaller than 3 cm without vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis, and Child-Pugh class A or B disease. Cumulative overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were compared after adjustment with propensity score matching.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After this adjustment, OS rates were comparable between the groups (P = .393), but DFS was superior in the SR group (P < .048). Among patients with very early stage HCC (lesions <2 cm in diameter), OS and DFS rates in the SR group were significantly higher than those in the TACE-RFA group (P < .001 and P = .008, respectively). However, adjustment with propensity score matching yielded comparable OS and DFS rates between the two groups (P = .348 and P = .614, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TACE-RFA may be a viable alternative treatment for early-stage HCC when SR is not feasible.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Gastroenterology, Kurashiki Central Hospital, 1-1-1 Miwa, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-8602, Japan (Y.T., H.T., Y. Morimoto, N.T., T.K., Y. Makino, H.Y.); and Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Iwakuni Clinical Center, Yamaguchi, Japan (Y.T., Y. Makino).
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takuma
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takabatake
authors.forename: Youichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Toshikuni
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kayahara
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D057216:Propensity Score; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome